WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for April 23
By Bryan Heaton
Photo Source: WWE.com
Rosters are set after the Superstar Shake-up. The Greatest Royal Rumble is days away. And Brock Lesnar is back. What’s in store on WWE Raw this week?
Previously on WWE Raw, things got shook up like an old Elvis tune. We bid a fond farewell to The Miz while welcoming Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, because it takes two disgruntled SmackDown competitors to equal one A-Lister.
This week, Brock Lesnar makes his return to WWE Raw for the first time since WrestleMania 34. You know, where he made Roman Reigns look like a rag doll with suplex after suplex, F5 after F5. The Universal Champ is set to once again defend the title against Reigns this Friday at The Greatest Royal Rumble — this time inside a steel cage. What kind of mood will The Beast Incarnate be in when Raw gets under way?
The flagship show also has to deal with the fallout from last week’s Superstar Shake-up. New Raw superstars include Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler, plus the aforementioned Owens and Zayn. But Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, and The Bar all went to Team Blue, so there’s some mighty big shoes to fill. Which new superstars will make the biggest impact on their new show?
Let’s not forget that Owens and Zayn are only on Raw because Stephanie McMahon overruled her general manager, Kurt Angle. Two weeks ago, Zayn and Owens fought to a double count out in a match where the winner would get a Raw contract. According to Kurt, no winner meant no contract, but Stephanie went over his head. Will the front office tension cause havoc on the Raw broadcast this week?
There’s a couple of title matches on the card for Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble with implications for Raw. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt will face Cesaro and Sheamus for the Raw Tag Team Championships, despite the latter now being on the SmackDown roster. Seth Rollins defends the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match against The Miz, Finn Balor, and Samoa Joe. How will the participants prepare themselves for what’s to come?
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Follow along with our live WWE Raw review tonight, right here at 8 p.m. ET.